noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1. 1
   A theory based on a more fundamental theory or on a metatheory; A theory which doesn't describe all causes; handling some of them as givens, especially when other theories do analyze these givens.
2. 2
   branch-theory, subtheory

Etymology

From epi- + theory.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.